STEEPLE Langford secured promotion from County Division 4 North by gaining maximum points with a convincing 132-run win at home to Sparsholt 2nds.

In what was a game of two halves, it was hot and sunny when Langford skipper Andy Bennett won the toss and elected to bat on another excellent home track. Once again, the openers got them off to a flyer, putting on 42 in the first seven overs before both fell in quick succession, Tom Bennett hitting a rapid 35. The pace then slowed a bit with Langford losing another couple of wickets to leave them on 89 for 4 until Tom Dennis and Nick Partridge(23) stabilised things. Dennis then shared stands of 53 with Gary Smith (17) and an unbroken one of 54 with young Alec Lloyd (24*) to see the home team to a respectable score of 234 for 6.

During tea, the predicted cloud and unsettled weather closed in to possibly threaten completion of the game but the rain held off for Sparsholt’s innings. The openers had a steady start but accurate bowling restricted them to 29 when they lost their first wicket in the 10th over with light intermittent rain starting to fall.

Bennett brought himself on and in an 8.4 over spell he took an excellent 4 for 5, including that of away captain Andy Pryce who tried to hold the innings together with a resolute 32. Sparsholt ended up on 102 all out in the 42nd over.